Urology, just like health care and medicine overall, continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Last year, we added new providers, made advances in patient care and new technology, and performed groundbreaking research that looks to move the entire field forward.
We have one of the largest and most highly acclaimed residency-training programs in the country. We also train a number of post-graduate fellows who are interested in pursuing specialties, such as in Urologic Oncology (cancer) or Minimally Invasive/Robotic Surgery. All of our trainees are full-fledged doctors of medicine (M.D.s) who are training to be board-certified urologists and urologic specialists. While there is graduated responsibility during the course of a student's training, ultimately the physician is solely responsible for patient care.
Our staff and fellows come from diverse backgrounds. This diversity gives us the ability to compare various aspects of care at the University of Miami to other centers both across the country and the world.
Collaboration with our colleagues and friends is fundamental to our mission of empowering the future generations of urologists. Our constant professional interchange keeps our faculty fresh, and allows us to develop new ideas and innovations to improve medical care.
Adopting the right technology also helps us to offer patients the most advanced care, often translating into less invasive procedures, faster recoveries and improved outcomes, including the overall quality of life. In 2019, for example, we witnessed incredible growth in robotic urology surgeries. UHealth now accounts for 49% of the South Florida market, up from 17% only two years earlier. More than 2,000 people have undergone focused ultrasound treatment for prostate cancer, a much less invasive option than traditional surgery, at the University of Miami Health System since 2016.
Much remains to be learned about many urologic disorders. It is only through research that a new treatment may be deemed to be safe and effective. We believe that the diverse research that we perform gives our patients the opportunity to be treated with the most contemporary treatments available anywhere.
Each patient hopes for successful treatment, but I believe hope is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice. The people of South Florida, the Caribbean and Latin America, deserve an exceptional urology program that offers cutting-edge clinical care. By training future urologists and urologic specialists, we continue to make our mark on the future of health care worldwide. We look forward to working with you toward that goal.
Best regards,
Dipen J. Parekh, M.D.Founding Director
Desai Sethi Urology Institute
Director of Robotic Surgery
Chief Operating Officer
UHealth - University of Miami Health System